Afterimage
by Neru
Summary: Disturbing and sad. It's always dangerous to let someone become your whole world..


Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei belongs to Yoko Matsushita.

AFTERIMAGE

He looked around and everything was in its right spot.

It was an ephemeral moment, a brief while but it was so intense that it filled him with fuzzy, warm feeling. Everything was as he wanted, as he needed and, what was the most important, he no longer thought it was only a flickering dream, ready to fade away if he'd try to touch it.

He looked down at Hisoka lying beside him and smiled, gently bushing away some strayed locks that fell on his delicate face.

He leaned down and kissed the tip of his nose, knowing that his lover would wake up and snarl at him, blushing cutely even despite all the intimacy they've grown.

It was a tiring night after all, no wonder that such a slight cares would not awaken him.

Let him sleep, he thought warmly, now able to study his slender form and porcelain skin that he had got to know so well, freely.

He pleasantly drowned in recollections about the nights they've shared, the days they've spent together, all the little words, and all the words breathed out in the aftermath of passion, and idea of spending in the same way countless years was heart-warming.

He could embrace him 'till the end of times and he still wouldn't get enough.

It was indeed brilliant, to be able to dream like this and to know that those dreams would come true.

Hisoka had taught him how to truly live, not only to exist, and the meaning of being someone's whole world.

He sighed contently but decided it was time to get up eventually, so he kissed him less lightly, this time on the lips.

Why wouldn't he wake up?

He obviously was ignoring the fact that they had to go to work. Tsuzuki smirked amused, Hisoka surely knew how to convince him. But unfortunately they really had to go.

They had to go.

"Hey, sleepy-head, time to wake up." He laughed, since it's been always all the way round, his partner was always the one to force him to get out of the bed. He had the nicest expedients, and Tsuzuki liked pretending to be asleep, only to be waken up in that way. Hisoka probably was aware of that, but both of them enjoyed that little rituals.

"Hi-chan, we'll be late!" he exclaimed, knowing that this nickname would be enough to have his latter fully conscious and fuming.

Really, he was so stubborn today.

For a moment, he could have sworn that he had heard a quiet sound, barely audible, something resembling flapping of the small, very small wings.

And then Hisoka opened his eyes and yawned.

"Let's not go to work today. I just feel like staying in bed all day long and doing nothing. How about getting some bliss of doing nothing at all?" he asked with a smile and Tsuzuki involuntarily chuckled.

"And by the way, I don't like the colour of the walls. It's somewhat unfamiliar." Added the younger one.

"Do you think so too?" I've noticed it just recently."

They both stared at the wall for a while and then burst out laughing.

The brunette lying on the bed was laughing happily and talking. It was a heart-wrenching sight, since there was no one near him. He seemed to have a hilarious conversation with the air, but at the second glance, it became visible that his eyes were focused on an imaginary silhouette at his side.

His look was not blank.

Amethyst vivid eyes were shining brightly exactly the same way they did six years ago.

Watari was watching his friend with a grimace of pain on his face.

He haven't really moved on.

That day six years ago changed their "lives" drastically and once for all.

It was an extremely difficult mission and Tsuzuki didn't want to let Hisoka go with him. But the more stubborn he became, the more his partner insisted. In the end, he gave in.

They returned after a day, and Watari ran to greet them with his usual but a bit nervous (why didn't they teleport?) expression but he stopped with his eyes wide open.

Tsuzuki, with blood-stains all over his clothes was carrying Hisoka in his arms, the boy's eyes were closed and face too peaceful.

Then Tsuzuki looked at him, his eyes reddened from weeping and asked in a hoarse voice:

"Maybe you know why. Why won't he open his eyes?"

Watari only stared in utter shock, astonished beyond comprehension and couldn't find any strength to face those helpless and broken orbs.

"Because you see, he won't open his eyes although I'm asking him to. I wonder why. Do you know why?"

He kept on looking at Watari and waiting for an answer.

Because everything ended.

He remembered that scene too well. Tatsumi and Konoe joined them soon and halted in a mid-step, as they noticed the horror before them.

Wakaba who was there as well, immediately burst in tears. She was very worried about the mission and thus she insisted on staying and awaiting her friends' arrival.

_Fluttering, fluttering. _

They were never completely informed what had happened, what was the real reason of Hisoka's death. After all, it was rather difficult to kill the Shinigami.

The first thing that came up to their mind was Touda, but everyone pushed that thought aside violently.

Tsuzuki didn't tell them. He lost the contact with the reality, and those words he said to

Watari were his last communication with the real world. He slowly immersed himself in the illusionary realm, where Hisoka was still with him, and nothing had happened.

He cut off the strings that bound him to the world he didn't want to accept. It was impossible to move on, to live on.

It wasn't a tragedy he was able to bear, it was a sudden blow that took away all his world.

Watari sent his friend a last glance and turned away. It was hard to watch that cruel imitation of happiness. After all they had endured and gone through, that was what remained.

Why?

There wasn't any answer.

It was only an ephemeral moment. Within one flutter, the life, the love could fade away.. But the after image would be forever burnt inside.

The brunette embraced the non-existent figure on the bed and whispered.

"We will always be together, ne? Hey, don't be liked that!"

On the other side of the window, a butterfly soared into the air.

The End


End file.
